Filing of records, letters, and other documents.



A. VESTERLING.

FILING 0F RECORDS, LETTERS, AND OTHER DOCUMENTS.

APPLICATION meow": 1. 1915.

1331,81 6., Patented. July 3, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

A. VESTERLING. HUNG 0F RECORDS,

LETTERS, AND OTHER DOCUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1. I915.

6/2451: my Veqfewiz Patented July 3, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A. VESTERLING.-

FILING OF RECORDS, LETTERS, AND OTHER DOCUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1. I915. 1 31 1 60 Patented Jul 3,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- AUGUST VESTERLING, 0F BATTERSEA PARK, LONDON, ENG-LAND.

FILING OF RECORDS, LETTERS, AND OTHER DOCUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

atented July 3, 191 *2,

Application filed June 1, 1915. Serial No. 31,530.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Aucusr Vnsrnurano, a subject of His Majesty the King of England, residing at Battersea Park, in the county of London, Kingdom of England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Connected with the Filing of Records, Letters, and other Documents, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates toimprove'ments in loose leaf books, files, and the like for filing and holding letters, loose papers and the like.

The invention refers more particularly to ring. books of the type in which the leaves are hung or loosely supported on the rings or other like members as distinguished from those in which the leaves are clamped or pressed together on vertical posts: or the like.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a construction of loose leaf books, files and the like,.wherein the rings, prongs, claws or like leaf retaining device or devices are longitudinally adjustable to the correlative l'ongitudinal positions of the holes inthe documents, leaves, letters, or the like to be filed thereon.

Another object is to make the said leafretaining device or devices removable and replaceable. A further object is to enable said leaf retaining devices to be multiply actuated. A still further object is to enable said leaf retainingdevices to be remo-vably retained or held in the positions in which required and placed, or permanently fixed in said positions. A yet further object is to provide improved ring operating mechanism for loose leaf books, files and-the like;

The present invention is hereinafter de scribed with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which z- Figure 1' is apartial sectional elevation of a loose leaf book constructed according to this invention Fig. 2; is a partial plan view of said book;

Fig. 3 is a detail sectionalelevation of one of the improved rings;

Fig; 4 is asecti-onal plan view ofsame;

Fig 5 is a similar view to? Fig. '3' but showing the ring in an openposition;

Fig. 6- is a detail view showing diagrammatically a modified method of operating theleaf retaining rings;

Figs. 7 and 8 are detail views illustrating modified forms of bearing brackets;

Fig. 9 is a detail view of the hinge pin;

Fig. 10 is a detail view of a double claw mounted on a single block; Fig. 11 is a detail view of a further modified form of ring showing the parts detached from each other; and

Figs. 12, 13 and l l are detail views of still further modifications hereinafter referred to.

As shown and with these and other obj'ects in view in a convenient form of the invention, each leaf-retaining member or ring consists of two incurving metal claws a and b mating at their free upper ends by means of a reduced portion 0 on one fitting into a cup-shaped depression (Z in the other, and fixed at their lower ends into two similarly shaped metal blocks 6 and 7' hinged together by an eccentric or cam shaped pin 9 traversed longitudinally by an angularly shaped and eccentrically situated hole or opening It. This hole or opening need not be square as shown as it can be in the form of any other formation adapted to permit a sliding but nonrotatable engagement as hereinafter described. The blocks rest snugly in a correlatively shaped cradle 2' conveniently consisting of a bottom member and two side members, each of the latter being provided with a circular hole j corre sponding to the hole 7% in the hinge pin The side plates are also provided with two internally projecting pins 0 traveling in slots 0 in the contiguous faces of the hinge blocks (1 and f. The base of the book or file /s is formed of a strip of wood, metal or other material Z which is convex externally and flat on its inner face, and fitted totlie cover of the book or file 7c in known or usual manner and along said inner face are attached terminal, and in some cases interm-ediatebeari brackets on each provided with a circular hole a corresponding to the holes j in the cradle 2', the intermediate bearing brackets Figs. 7 and 8 also having longitudinal adjustabilxity such as by providing theni with a" depending screw pin 0 as in Fig 7 or with a screw plate p as in Fig. 8.

square rod Q having its sharp edges rounded off fits the bearing brackets m, cradles 2' and the hinge pin-s g, its nearer end being fitted passes removably through and with a handle r which serves as a stop in the form of a projecting part to prevent over-rotation. Another stop pin 8 is provided which passes through one of the brackets m and engages a bayonet like slot pro vided in the end of the rod Q so as to allow the rod to be rotated but to onlyallow of its withdrawal when the claws a and b have been opened.

On rotating the rod 9 the eccentric hinge pins 9 of the rings are also turned, thus causing the inner parts of the hinge blocks 6 and f to rise and fall, the outer parts being, where guide pins 6 are employed, kept down by the said guide pins traveling in their slots 0 and consequently the free ends of the attached claws a and I) open and close. If no guide pins are employed then the weight of the paper and the friction keeps them down. The claws a and b are arranged to clench slightly before the extreme positions have been reached, so that by giving a slight further turn to the rod 9 the whole leaf-retaining member or ring is held in its position on said rod. Each leaf-retaining member of which any number may be employed may be dismantled and rebuilt easily and quickly, its component parts being the two arms a and b, the hinge pin 9 and the cradle 11, each arm consisting of one or more claws attached directly or indirectly to a hinge block. The cradle 71 may be omitted and only one claw need move, the leaf retaining members being held by the circular rod passing through the other hinge block. In a convenient form in which the cradle i is omitted and in which also only one claw 6 moves, the leaf-retaining members are held in position by the rod 9 passing through the other hinge block 1 as shown in Fig. 11. This rod is provided with a longitudinal key way, or it may be of square cross section with rounded edges as before. A pin 6 is passed through the part 1 and works in a slot or notch f in the part 2 as shown.

The internally projecting pins previously referred to may be in the form of indentures, lips, or cross pieces, on one or both sides of the cradle i or they may be provided on the blocks 0, f, the cradle i then being formed with slots or slits or other suitable engaging members. The cradles 2' may be provided with a downward projecting screw such as that 0 provided on the brackets m or with a hole or holes as pro vided in the plate 10 so that they may be screwed, riveted or otherwise removably or permanently secured or attached to the base Z. The cradle 11 may be provided with cross members in other positions, in place of, or in addition to the bottom member, and in one convenient form shown in Fig. 12, e and e are two cross members in addition to the bottom members of the cradle 11. They pass through the hinge blocks 3 and 4 which are each hinged to them and turn on them. The hole 0" is slightly elongated and the block 4 is provided with a projection e which works in a slot 0" in the block 3 so that when the rod g is turned both parts move both in closing and when being opened.

In the modified construction shown in Fig. 13 only the arm I) and the block 6 moves, the latterbeing pivoted at e between the spaced ends of the block 5.

Alternatively the two cross members 6 and 0 may as shown in Fig. 1 1 both be pivotally mounted in a cradle i in which case both the holes 6 and 6 would be elongated and both claws and blocks 7 and 8 would move.

In all forms where elongated slots are employed the eccentric should be secured to its operating rod so that it cannot become disengaged when the parts are operated The bottom underneath part of the cradle may be ribbed, serrated, knurled, or otherwise made so as not to slip easily on the base Z which itself may be knurled, or covered with a soft material, or otherwise made suitable for this purpose. The operating rod g may be square, pentagonal, D shaped, or provided with a projection or a longitudinal keyway or of other convenient regular or irregular cross-sectional form, the sharp edges being rounded off. In the case of a long book or file, two rods 9 may be simultaneously employed, one inserted from each end, or an additional handle 1" may be attachable at the other end of the rod. More than one pair of claws a b, may be attached to each pair of hinge blocks at any convenient distances apart, for instance, as shown in Fig. 10, the hinge blocks being, if necessary, extended or formed or fitted with extensions t for that purpose, and thus a loose leaf book, file, or the like may be provided with a number of claws, yet with only one pair of hinge blocks e, 7, also the said claws a and 7) may enter the hinge blocks from the top as shown or from the sides or ends, or otherwise, and they may be of circular or other convenient cross-sectional form.

In another slightly modified arrangement shown in Fig. 6 the leaf-retaining members may all be mounted on a circular rod 9 forming the hinge pins; they may then also be multiply closed by means of a longitudinal member or members u adapted when moved to raise the lower outer ends of the hinge blocks 6, 7"; for this purpose the longitudinal members u may be in the form of flattened rods thus serving to raise the ends of the blocks 6 and f by a combined longitudinal and lateral motion produced by the projections y on the base '0 engaging inclined slots or portions u in the two side members a or in other known or usual manner.

lVhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A loose leaf ring book, file or the like, comprising a support, a rotatable longitudinal member on said support, a plurality of divided leaf retaining rings or the like longitudinally and minutely adjustable on the said member to any position, and eccen tries on said longitudinal member for actuating the said leaf retaining devices, substantially as described.

2. A loose leaf ring book, file, or the like, comprising a support, a longitudinal member on said support, a plurality of divided leaf retaining rings adjustable 011 said member, eccentrics on the longitudinal member for actuating the said leaf retaining devices, and means for rotating said longitudinal member for holding in position and actuating the said leaf retaining devices substan tially as described.

3. A oose leaf ring book, file or the like, comprising a support, a rotatable longitudinal member on said support, a plurality of eccentrics mounted on said rotatable member, and a plurality of divided leaf retaining rings mounted on the eccentrics and actuated thereby to open or closed position.

4. A loose leaf book, file or the like comprising a support, a rotatable longitudinal member on said support, a plurality of eccentrics mounted on said rotatable member for rotation thereby but adjustable longitudinally thereon, and a plurality of divided leaf retaining rings mounted on the eccentries and actuated thereby to open or closed position.

5. A loose leaf book, file or the like comprising a support, a rotatable longitudinal member on said support, a plurality of eccentrics mounted on said rotatable member for rotation thereby but adjustable longitudinally thereon, a plurality of divided leaf retaining rings mounted on the eccentrics and actuated thereby to open or closed position and means for guiding the said leaf retaining rings during their movement.

6. A loose leaf book, file or the like comprising a support, a rotatable longitudinal member on said support, a plurality of eccentrics mounted on said rotatable member for rotation thereby but adjustable longi tudinally thereon, a plurality of divided leaf retaining rings mounted on the eccentrics and actuated thereby to open or closed position, a saddle adjustable on said rotatable member and means on said saddle for guiding the said leaf retaining rings during their movement.

7. A loose leaf book, file or the like comprising a support, a rotatable longitudinal member on said support, a plurality of divided leaf retaining rings mounted on said rotatable member and actuated thereby, adjustable means on said support for supporting said rotatable member and means for limiting the movement of said rotatable member.

8. A loose leaf book, file or the like comprising a support, a rotatable longitudinal member on said support, a plurality of divided leaf retaining rings adj ustably mounted on said rotatable member and actuated thereby, adjustable means attached to said support for holding said rotatable member and means for rotating said rotatable member, said rotating means also limiting the movement of said rotatable member.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

AUGUST VESTERLING. Vitnesses:

FRANK D. BLAKEY, WILLIAM FEELING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. (2. 

